With FOX getting the 2018 and 2022 WC rights FOX was always going to be a major player to get MLS.

Look for Gus Johnson to be the main commentator for MLS on FOX.

Coming 2015 on FOX Bundesliga and MLS.

Looks like ESPN will still have MLS TV rights as well.

FOX and ESPN will split MLS games.

Multitude of TV platforms with FOX: FOX, FS1, FS2, and possibly FX.

EKneezyAtlanta

Post #2

Friday January 10, 2014 2:33am

Joined May 2013
Total Posts: 3,065

I guess they're doing it how they did it with EPL rights. Throw some games to ESPN.

So many channels to broadcast too.

Gus Johnson has time to get better by 2018. He's brutal right now.

2toneTen-Towns

Post #3

Friday January 10, 2014 2:36am

Joined Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10,178

Ives and Jonathan Tannewald are reporting it to be an almost done deal.

I am sure we will learn more specifics heading towards the Draft.

I like Gus. Not everyones cup of tea, but I really enjoy the enthusiasm he brings. thought he was pretty good with the Gold Cup this past summer.

Oh yeah expect FOX to have the rights to the Gold Cup as well.

admsghs27

Post #4

Friday January 10, 2014 2:42am

Joined Nov 2012
Total Posts: 6,060

Yeaaa FOX.. NBC was horrible. Also FOX got 2018 World Cup and 2022. maybe beyond. NBC Rarely showed mls games maybe like 2 games 3 a year. Hopefully fox does like 10 a Year or Heck Show 1 Game every weekend. (34).

rjw77

Post #5

Friday January 10, 2014 5:19am

Joined Jul 2013
Total Posts: 289

NBC showed 41 games last year. 41.

acahmed14

Post #6

Friday January 10, 2014 5:26am

Joined Apr 2013
Total Posts: 33

i thought the usmnt always tied there games in with mls's tv contract to help mls tv revenue ?

dolcem

Post #7

Friday January 10, 2014 9:17am

Joined Nov 2012
Total Posts: 1,805

Jeff Carlisle tweeted that he heard this deal would involve sharing rights with ESPN.

This is good news. I think that we always want deals to involve ESPN. It has an absolute monopoly on national sports coverage (TV, magazine, and internet). Currently, it treats MLS as a joke. You will never see MLS highlights on Sportcenter unless it's the playoffs (or a good goal in the top 10 plays). The even show regular season WNBA highlights on Sportcenter. We won't see the MLS get more popularity and respect from the American public until ESPN starts treating it like a real sport. That means we want ESPN to have a stake in the league's success whenever we can. I personally think as part of the TV deal MLS should demand highlights (at least a summary or something the way they do golf and tennis).

Also important is getting games on local television to help build a base of TV viewership (starting with the fans and curious residents of the teams' hometowns). We need to get people in the habit of watching it on TV first before we can expect to get a big TV deal.

GET A CLUB TEAM

admsghs27

Post #8

Friday January 10, 2014 6:28pm

Joined Nov 2012
Total Posts: 6,060

Original post from rjw77

NBC showed 41 games last year. 41.

I mean on national TV not NBC sports. NBC only showed like 2or 3 mls games. I hope fox shows 1 every weekend.

blaise213

Post #9

Friday January 10, 2014 6:46pm

Joined Sep 2012
Total Posts: 2,814

Original post from dolcem

The even show regular season WNBA highlights on Sportcenter. We won't see the MLS get more popularity and respect from the American public until ESPN starts treating it like a real sport.

Well the good news is the WNBA folded so many ESPN will replace their highlights with MLS highlights

dstones77Hagerstown, MD

Post #10

Friday January 10, 2014 6:54pm

Joined Mar 2013
Total Posts: 216

Original post from blaise213

Well the good news is the WNBA folded so many ESPN will replace their highlights with MLS highlights

haha I wish... they'll probably just find a way to talk about Tim Tebow or Brett Farve in the middle of the summer instead of the MLS highlights -__-

2toneTen-Towns

Post #11

Friday January 10, 2014 7:00pm

Joined Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10,178

I have seen nothing of the WNBA folding. Where are you getting this at?

blaise213

Post #12

Friday January 10, 2014 7:37pm

Joined Sep 2012
Total Posts: 2,814

I thought I heard it on the news the other day,, just googled it and saw nothing about it....

2toneTen-Towns

Post #13

Friday January 10, 2014 7:45pm

Joined Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10,178

As of right now MLS is getting around 28 million dollars annually from NBC and ESPN for TV rights.

If this new FOX/ESPN deal goes through it will be for 8 years at 70 million dollars a year for TV rights. That's almost triple the TV money.

This will likely have an effect on the new CBA as well.

2toneTen-Towns

Post #14

Friday January 10, 2014 8:45pm

Joined Jul 2012
Total Posts: 10,178

Just think about this: the next TV rights might be negotiated for well over 100,000,000 dollars. If they continue the trend the next TV rights could be in the 210,000,000 dollar range.

Oh and another thing Spanish TV rights haven't been negotiated yet. Right now I think Univision pays around 8 million a year. If they up it to 10 million a year then MLS will be getting 80 million dollars a year in TV money. Unthinkable even 2 years ago.

Spank661

Post #15

Friday January 10, 2014 9:36pm

Joined Feb 2013
Total Posts: 128

The WNBA isn't folding. There's a possibility that the Los Angeles Sparks will fold and that could spell doom for the WNBA.